Bee Blessed Sampler Quilt

This past weekend I finished a quilt top!  I am so happy to have this project completed - it is a very special quilt top that has slept dormant in my sewing room for WAY too long.  You see, this is not just any old quilt top, but a top created with blocks donated by members of the Modern Quilters of Ireland and supporting quilters (blogged about here).

The idea was to create a top for Bee Blessed that might be suitable for a fella.  The only instructions to members was to use blue/green in the block on a white background.  What the members created was just beautiful, with each block complimenting the next.  

I was only to arrange them, add sashing and finish the top off with a border.  I had arranged them nicely on my design wall, so that the lights/darks were evenly distributed.  However, when I stitched the rows together, rows two and three got switched around.  This lands the two "heavy" blocks together in rows three and four.  Ah, well.  These things happen.  

I decided to sash it with a Moda print I had remaining after a 241 Tote I made for my Mom years ago.  I have always really liked this print, but it does not jive well with the rest of my stash. It therefore is never used.  This fabric is a tone on tone blue with navy filigree pattern.  It's not too floral for a fella, I liked the blue with the blocks and I had more than enough yardage.  Score.

This top will leave Galway this week to live in Belfast.  Judith and Sarah, we love what you have created with Bee Blessed and we hope you can find a nice home for this quit.  

Modern Quilters of Ireland {Bee Blessed Blocks}

There is SO much to tell you from this past weekend, but I can not get my brain together to write a full post including all of the hoo-ha.  You see, on Saturday several ladies from the Modern Quilters of Ireland came together in Galway for a day of stitching.  I will tell you all about it in time.

Those of us gathering for the mini-retreat decided to come together and create a quilt top for Bee Blessed.  We decided on a scrappy sampler blocks in blues and greens with white background.  I am just delighted with what the ladies created.  Want to see?

Such a super array of blues and greens, but they work so very well together.  I think so at least.  Great variety in block choice too!

I'm going to put the top together with white sashing, blue and green corner stones and then I'll put on borders.  I already know one border I want to use that's new in the shop.  Can't wait to get cutting!

As you will quickly figure out, there are 13 blocks in total.  That makes for a funny shaped quilt.  I would love to have a 4 block x 4 block layout.  Would anyone else in the MQGI want to send on a blue and green block to be included?

Galway breeze go the best of my churn dash there in the upper left.
You can imagine what that corner looks like...very similar to the other three.  

I'm looking for 3 more blocks that are 12.5 x 12.5 unfinished (12 inches finished).  If you are interested in sending one (or two...or three) to me, please leave a comment below and I will send to you my postal address.

UPDATED: I have volunteers for the three additional blocks we need.  Thanks so much, ladies!

Modern Quilters of Ireland, this is going to be absolutely beautiful.  Thank you so very much for your effort.  What a stunner we will make together!

Cross Stitching a Quilt

The Fluffy Sheep Quilting birthday sale is still on!  Use the 

code bday15% at checkout.

I have been looking for a fun new cross stitch project for the past few weeks.  I like having one on the go for when I am travelling or sitting in front of the television.  Otherwise my fingers get fidgety.  There were lots and lots of google and etsy searches....and nothing made my heart flutter.

But then...I saw on IG that Corey, of Little Miss Shabby, was kicking off a cross stitch along called Quilty Stitches. I could not resist.  Now, I am joining in quite late and the rest of the group is already on block 7 as I begin stitching along, but I will eventually catch up.

I've pulled out a few skeins of embroidery floss that I dig together.  Since this photo, though, I have removed the orange and yellow and am going with a cooler palate for this project.

I kicked off stitching while travelling to/from Paris for work the other week and quickly realized this is going to take me forever.  Yep.  Forever.  

But there's something so very rewarding when you start seeing the block come together. It makes you want to keep stitching!

Finally (many many nights of stitching later) I have a finished Swoon block.  I very much like my choice in color in the background "fabric" and in the sashing.  And I love the cooler color palate which is new for me.  All in all it's a success so far!

Next I'm tackling the super nutty, HST overloaded Odd Fellow's Chain block.  Wish me luck.  I'm slightly freaking out because I do not have a total mental grasp on these quarter stitches that make up the diagonal in each triangle.  I think I'm fudging it pretty well, so I'll just keep going.  Breathe, Cindy.  Breathe.

To join in yourself, just click here and you will see the project requirements and links to the PDF pattern for each block.  Come on and join in too!  You know you want to....

Love on the Blocks: A Finish!

A finish!  A finish!

I finished this small-ish quilt that I created along with my students in the class held at Pippablue.  It's a sampler made from a mix of modern and traditional blocks, but made with super bright scraps to really make the blocks pop.  I am absolutely THRILLED with the finish.

And the back!  Is it possible to like a back more than the front?  Well, I might.  I love the concentric semi-circle quilting with invisible thread.  I won't lie - this was a struggle at times. Still, it was totally worth it.

The two things I've learned from this:  First, straight line quilting is not my friend.  I like dense quilting in repeating patterns.  This rocked my world.  Second, it's amazing how just seeing a finished product will eliminate all of your doubts of color choice, design, size, etc.  Once it's quilted and bound, it's a whole new entity.  Two really great lessons for me to learn.

Quilt Stats:

Name: Love on the Blocks

Made For: Myself. It was part of the class I taught at Pippablue, but it was mostly made for happiness.

Fabric: Kona School Bus Orange back and sashing with Kona Red binding.  The rest was made from a small pile of favorite fabrics that I had been storing away for something special.  

Batting: 100% cotton
Size: about 38 inches square

Quilting: concentric semi-circles in invisible thread

Pattern: Lots of traditional patterns, but with the LOVE block that was designed by myself.

PS - Be sure to come back tomorrow.  I have an exciting post for you!

Beginner's Class Sampler Top Finished

Seriously, I need a better name for this quilt.  Any suggestions?  School Yard Sampler?  Come on, guys.  A little help, please?

We have this week "off" from our Beginner's Patchwork Class at Pippablue to allow students to catch up on their unfinished blocks and me to get to sashing, layering and quilting under control so I am prepared for the next class.  It has been a welcome break.  Not away from the students; I like them for their sense of humor and enthusiasm to learn.  I just needed the time to get my mind re-focused on the project.  Anyway, want to see what the top looks like?

Well, really it spent most of our photo shoot looking like this:

Either way, you get the idea.  I have to say, I like the sashing much better in this photo as compared to real life.  The orange isn't quite a true, rich orange as compared to the colors in the blocks.  It is a little softer and more subdued.  Still, it's a great color.  Ah, I am going back and forth with it.  There is so much going on in the blocks nothing looked quite right so I took my best guess.

Off to layer and quilt.  I am going to stitch this as quickly as possible while I am still on my Cúchulainn  quilting high.

Drinking the Finish Along Kool-Aid

All of the cool kids are doing it.  


I wanted to join in on Rhonda's Finish Along (FAL) last quarter, but there was just too much running through my head/sewing room at the time to add another "to-do" on the ever growing list.  Now, this quarter is a different story!  I am super excited to join in.


What will I finish this quarter?  Well, Rhonda is telling me that to "finish" a quilt it has to be quilted and bound before the quarter is out.  I can do that. 


1. Stargazing.  Stargazing is currently being quilted by the lovely Trudi, but I will have it back in early June.  I can happily have it bound and finished before the end of the month, therefore within the quarter.  I'd kick myself if I didn't.

2. Cúchulainn.  Cúchulainn has been on my to-do list for quite some time.  I want to say since September, but that scares me a bit.  The appliqué is now finished and the quilting well underway, so this isn't a huge stretch.  Anyway, it MUST be finished off in time for the quilt festival.  So, I will quilt and bind it this quarter.

3. Beginner's Patchwork Sampler Quilt.  This is just a pile of blocks sitting in my sewing room.  So, I will have to add the sashing, layer, quilt and bind it.  Still, it's a very manageable size so I should be able to finish it off in the next month or so.  I am really enjoying this little patch of craziness, so it will be fun to spend more time with it.  

4. Electronica.  Here is my stretch finish.  Electronica.  This quilt is being pieced by Sew Bee Blissful as our March block, so the blocks are now arriving at the house.  It is going to be a whopper!  So, I will have to collect the blocks, finish them off as needed, finish off 2 of the 5 blocks I have to contribute, add sashing, layer, quilt and bind.  It might be a big ask, but at least I have all of the materials I need and a quilting plan in mind.  We'll see how it goes!

Beginner's Patchwork Sampler Quilt

As you know, I'm teaching a beginner's patchwork class at Pippablue on Wednesday nights.  Like any normal teacher, I'm barely just ahead of the class making my blocks barely in time to use them in the class as examples.  Well, I have finally finished all 9 of my sampler blocks.  Want to see what they look like on the design board?

We tried to do 3 for each lesson.  Three squares (square in a square, disappearing nine patch and a pogo stick block) to get the main concept of cutting, piecing, squaring.  Then there were three triangle blocks (pinwheels, sawtooth star, starflower) followed by three wonky or improv blocks (LOVE block, wonky star and wonky log cabin).   The point was to give the students the basic skills they need and introduce them to both traditional and modern piecing.  So far so good! 

Next we'll tackle the sashing, layering and backing.  I'm totally excited!  I have to test out a few different sashing color options before Wednesday :)      

What's next to this on the design board, you ask?  Well, blocks have started arriving from Sew Bee Blissful for my Electronica quilt.  They're looking great!  

Tonight I need to add a bit of dark brown and green to the one block on the bottom left, and a bit of pink to another Sew Bee Blissful block.  It's taking shape now, which is very exciting!  I love the individual personality in each block, but the unified colors seem to pull them all together.  Here's hoping at least!